The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair
by Carter Tachikawa
Summary: Starting from their childhood, Chuck and Blair reflect on all the small moments that led them to what will be the biggest moment of their lives. CB of course.
1. Chapter 1

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**Pairing**: Blair/Chuck  
**Rating**: PG  
**Summary**: The little moments in Chuck and Blair's life that led to the biggest moment of their lives.  
**Notes**: Shoot me, I have too more ideas that I need to get out. That's what happens when you finish one fic (my EL one) and don't know what to do with the other (Postcards); you need to replace it with something to help you out of your funk. This is one of _two_ new projects. This is a little less humorous than Postcards but it'll still have its moments. Thanks again to Dawn for beta-ing (if there's still a mistake, blame her. Mwuahahahaha, just kidding :P) and those of you who are willing to follow this one through.

**Chapter 1: Killer Headbands and Bowties**

As a little girl, Blair Waldorf dreamed about the perfect life. She was born to be a queen. Her parents had given her everything she wanted and then some. She saw the perfect partner in Nate Archibald (not that he knew it then, of course). She had the perfect best friend in Serena Van der Woodsen. And of course, she had Chuck Bass. Not that she wanted Chuck. But he came with Nate and she had to deal with him in preschool. He was a snotty little kid who found pleasure with other people's pain. He was also rich and disgusting for his age. Not very many people wanted to friends with him. Somehow, Nate had the patience of a saint to deal with Chuck Bass. No one else could deal with his torment. Not to mention he was new money at that time. Preschoolers were brutal when it came to new people.

But worst of all was when he messed with her. The first day of preschool, he had taken a quick look under her skirt and declared to the class just what underwear she had on. Since that day, she learned to fend for herself. It was the last day anyone bothered to laugh at her. She got young Charles in trouble by subtly tattling to their teacher. The just desserts tasted absolutely delicious. And yet, something about the way he glared at her made her feel a little bad. She was almost sorry for getting him in trouble. He never mocked her like that again.

Try as she could, she could not avoid him. If Nate was there, so was Chuck. Smirking, sneering, and just being a pest. Along with Serena, they had become friends. Every group had a nuisance and Chuck was theirs. Blair allowed it but told herself she would never get close to Chuck. Not close enough to tell her secrets or play a game with her alone. She'd tolerate him as long as Serena and Nate were around. It was a promise.

She never dreamed about giving Chuck Bass a hug at five. Now, many years later, she was carrying his child. Their child. It was night time and she would have given anything to be able to lie on her stomach again. Or her side like Chuck was doing. But no, the pain left her on the back. The baby was kicking as usual, which added to the physical pain. The beloved father of their child, however, was trying to catch his sleep. He had a meeting the next morning and didn't want to go into it half-awake.

Not that Blair or the baby were being helpful there. He didn't blame her for being upset, he expected all this. But it seemed that she became ten times the bitch when pregnant.

"This is your fault. All your fault!" she grumbled at his figure. His back was to her, lucky bastard. He didn't need to worry about carrying their child for nine months. "You said that we were ready. Well, I'm not! I'm not ready to give birth!"

"...Then why didn't you tell me that nine months ago?" He rolled back to face her. Like her, he was worn out but not from carrying a baby. The late night pains were getting to him too. The baby was due any day now. "Whatever you do, don't tell our son that you're not ready."

"What makes you certain it's a boy? Did you find out on your own? We agreed that it would be a surprise!" She gave him a nudge.

"Calm down, I'm making a very educated guess. Call it a father's hunch." He laid a hand on her stomach. "You're a boy, aren't you? That's why you're driving your mother crazy."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Well, one thing is certain; this is your child. He or she doesn't want me to sleep anymore. I close my eyes and I get kicked."

"Well, maybe he's scared. I recall one time when you didn't let me sleep because you were scared." He smirked. "Remember preschool? Naptime?"

"...Did you have to remind me?" She slumped in bed and the baby kicked. "Okay, okay, I won't complain about it! But I remember it. That dream. I hated that dream. I still remember how it changed all of a sudden..."

~ ~ ~

**Pre-school/ Nap Time**

Blair Waldorf was having her dream again.

_Oooooooh_

Naptime. One of her least favorite times because she would have the bad dreams.

_Ooooooooh! Boooooo!_

Every dream in nap time was a nightmare and it usually involved howling ghosts. She had no idea why but they were always there and they were always chasing her around. The dreams would start out like fairy tales; she would be a princess in her castle. Then all the riches and wonderful scenery would melt into darkness. Her fancy castle would turn into a dark tower and she would trapped in it. Ghosts would appear and chase her. Some were flesh-eating ghosts as well. She would run screaming for Prince Charming, demanding that the dream end...and she would wake up.

But this particular dream today was different. It started the same and then, as the castle turned to a dark tower, it happened.

_Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh!_

It was not a ghost with teeth. It was no vampire or witch or werewolf. It was the last thing she expected to chase her around.

_BOO!_

A headband.

She was being chased around her castle by a headband. A pink headband with a big old pink bow on top. The ones she had were small but this one was huge. With teeth but a headband all the same. This killer headband kept opening its jaws up and down, heading towards her. Clank clank clank! The headband was even drooling green drool so that made it all the more terrifying. It was inching closer and closer and...

"RAWR!" it growled at her and she screamed.

Her eyes popped open wide and she stared at the ceiling. The first thing she did was touch her head. No headband, she didn't wear one today. That was good. Everything seemed normal. She was back in school. Lying between Serena and Nate. Sweating all over her mat. But no killer headbands at her side. Just her sleeping classmates and the teacher over in the corner. No one was allowed to get up during nap time until it was over. Even if the child woke up, they still had to stay on their mat until the lights came back on. But she wanted to talk to someone.

She turned to Nate only to find him dozed off. Same thing with Serena. Both of them looked like blond angels, off in dreamland, and no sign of fear on their faces. Like a princess and her prince. But as perfect as they looked, this was not going to help her. She wanted someone to talk to right now. Someone to listen to her go on about the terrible dream. And with two of her friends sound asleep, that left just one person.

She peered over Nate's shoulder to see Chuck Bass. His back was to her so she couldn't his face. But it couldn't be angelic. Chuck Bass did not know how to be angelic. He was naughty and slimy and unpleasant. At the same time, he was a friend. Friends did things for each other. Friends listened to each other. If she wanted to keep him as a friend, she had to get him to listen.

Ugh. She was going to reveal her feelings to Chuck Bass. But she had no choice either. Looking up to make sure her teacher wasn't hovering around them, she slowly crawled over to where Chuck was sleeping. He didn't look as angelic as Nate and Serena. Strong nose, thick lips, and arrogant face. Maybe he would get handsome when he was older. There was some hope for him.

Squeezing herself between him and Hazel Williams (who whined as she was pushed back), she began to hiss his name.

"Chuck! Chuck, wake up!"

"...No, Daddy, I'm not wearing that bowtie. It's...blue," Chuck murmured, rolling away from her. Oh, for crying out loud! She nudged him hard in the ribs and he let out a whimper. "Okay, okay, I'll wear it!"

"Chuck, wake up! It's me!" she whispered.

He rolled back to face her. Then he opened his eyes to find her there. "What is it?"

"I had a bad dream."

"...And I wear pink bowties. Good night." He closed his eyes.

"No, Chuck, this is important!" She nudged him again. This time, he groaned and woke up. "You have to hear this! It's what friends do!"

"I thought you didn't want to be friends with me, "he murmured.

"Well...that was yesterday! I want to be friends with you today! Now please listen to me, I had that same dream again! Nate probably told you about it, the princess dream. Only I wasn't being chased by ghosts. Or anything evil."

"So why was the dream bad?" He wanted to know, still grumpy from being woken from his nap. He rubbed his eyes and that's when she got a good look at them. Okay, so Chuck Bass had something redeeming. He had beautiful eyes for a kid. They were deep and they were locked on her. She could tell. His attention was not going to drift until she finished her tale.

"Because I was being chased by a...a..." She winced just thinking about the headband with its chomping jaws. It was terrible and stupid but he needed to know everything. She had promised to tell him the dream.

"Headband."

He lifted his head at that. "Excuse me?"

"I was chased by a headband! It had teeth!" she went on. "And it was enormous and pink and spat green stuff at me!"

Chuck looked at her for a long time. "So you're telling me that you were chased around by...a killer headband?"

"Yes!" She blinked, realizing what she had just admitted to. "A killer headband? Did I just say I was chased by a killer headband? Why did that scare me?"

"Don't worry, I was chased by a killer bowtie once, "he told her.

"Really?"

"No." He smirked. "I just tried to make you feel better. But look on the bright side, it's a dream."

"Yeah. One I don't want to dream it again, "he murmured. "At least it'll never happen. I mean, come on. Killer headbands. What a dumb dream." She looked up to see her teacher getting up now. It meant nap time was almost over. Any minute, the lights would flip back on. "Uh-oh, I better go back! Time to wake up!"

"Already?" He groaned. "Thanks a lot, Waldorf."

She nodded and decided to crawl back to her spot. But there was still something she had to do before leaving. Leaning over, she whispered, "Thanks for listening to me, Chuck."

He shrugged and turned away. "That's what friends do."

Friends. He had a very good point. And as she crawled back to her place between Nate and Serena, she knew one thing for certain. Chuck Bass was her friend and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Dreams about killer headbands did funny things like that sometimes.

TBC...

~ ~ ~

**Note**: I promise to work on "Postcards" soon. I'm sorry that I'm behind on that one but I needed to finish my EL fic first. Which I've done and am now working on a sequel. Anyway, I've been anxious to write a fanfic of the NJBC (namely C & B) in the past. Kids are way too much to write because they are more straightforward with what they like and dislike. So yeah, here is this. I hope you guys enjoy the beginning...and I hope my updating becomes more frequent too! Much love to all of you!


	2. Chapter 2

**The Small Moments Between Chuck and Blair**

**Notes**: Thanks to Dawn for the beta and for filling in my blanks (believe me, my brain goes blank a lot). GG isn't mine still. CB would have happened much sooner and wouldn't have gone through so many loops last season if it belonged to me.

~ ~ ~

**Chapter 2: Carnivals and Friendship Rings**

Chuck Bass woke up to something cold placed on his shoulder. It cut through the dream he was having. Not that he remembered much of it except the sex with Blair, but truth to be told, the sex with Blair made it his favorite dream so far. Once again, they were in the back of a limo. The windows had fogged up but the air conditioner was on full blast. He was getting pretty far, slowly inching down, when the cold feeling landed on him. That took him out of the dream and away from doing Blair.

"Don't move!" He heard Blair say when he started to shift around. "I put a plate on you."

"...What?" He tried to move again but someone put a hand on his waist and stopped him.

"No move, Mr. Chuck!" Dorota, Blair's faithful servant, scolded him. "You are table for now."

Table? What was all this? He reached up and realized that Blair was right. She had put a plate on him, using his body as a table. "When did I become furniture?"

"When you decided to knock me up and go to sleep while I moaned in pain," Blair said, finally taking the plate off him. He turned to see that she was eating a piece of ice cream cake. That explained the cold feeling he received in the dream. Dorota shook her head at him in disbelief. "I was begging for something to eat but you didn't wake up. I kept poking you but you kept saying 'Harder, Blair! Harder! I love the pain!' Poor Dorota had to get me ice cream cake because we were hungry."

"We?"

"The baby, Chuck. Our baby. Your son or daughter," she reminded him. "Any day now, we're going to be parents to it."

"Son."

Blair rolled her eyes and turned to Dorota. Chuck was still determined that they were going to have a boy. "I'm so glad you live with us. Poor thing would have starved."

"Would you mind not calling the boy a thing?"

"Well, you don't know what it is either. You're just assuming it's a boy."

Chuck grimaced. Secretly, he was also thankful that Dorota was around. As soon as they got married, she moved in with them. She could deal with Blair's tantrums and pregnancy cravings far better than he could. Dorota had raised Blair since she was a young girl so she knew how to deal with her. He was also glad that he wasn't the one who was pregnant and carrying a baby for nine months. Then again, Blair was also extremely hormonal and got upset with everything. He was beginning to regret sex without a condom now.

"You pay attention in Lamaze class next time, Mr. Chuck. Baby get hungry. Baby must eat," Dorota reminded them. As she fluffed Blair's pillows, she gave Chuck that look. The one that scolded him for not being a good husband or listening to anything in Lamaze class. Lately, she had disapproved of his behavior a lot. When he disliked a pair of baby booties sent in from Eleanor and Cyrus, she glared at him for daring to hate them. The fact that Blair cried when he mentioned his hatred of the booties didn't help either. Her emotions were running on extreme highs and lows nowadays.

"It's okay, Dorota. We're fine." She smiled at Chuck, who rolled back on his side. "When the time comes, he'll be ready."

He'll be ready. The words sounded so confident but he wasn't. Being a father frightened him a little. He caught sight of their wedding photo that was sitting on the nightstand. It seemed so long ago now. Blair made a beautiful bride, standing next to Serena, the maid of honor. Then came the rest of the bridesmaids: Jenny, Vanessa, several girls from school and college. Some of these girls had not been friends before but they were now. Back then, Jenny and Vanessa would never have been at the wedding. Now they were. Time had changed them. He was next to her, proud to be a husband. Nate and Eric, his best men, were behind him with the rest of their family and friends. Even Dan Humphrey was there, much to his dismay. Unlike her, he still held a few grudges against the Humphreys. He had only come because it was polite.

It had only been a few years ago yet it felt like it was back in the past. When they tied the knot, they had taken their biggest step. Or so it seemed like the biggest step. Now a baby was on the way and neither was ready.

Of course, every step before this one seemed like the biggest. Back when he was six, he thought he was taking the biggest step that one day. The whole class had gone to a carnival for a field trip. As usual, he was making bets and winning them until that second when it stopped.

~ ~ ~

_**Kindergarten: Age Six**_

"Kids! Kids, stay together! Stay with your buddy and your group!"

Those words fell on deaf ears again as Chuck, Nate, and their friends starting laughing loudly. Blair looked over in their direction and wondered what was so funny. Then she turned back to Serena, who seemed to have a good idea what the boys were up to. It spelled trouble since the teachers were getting involved as well. And of course, all those boys were in her group. Team Yellow. She would never forget how tacky that name was or how ugly those yellow bordered name tags looked on everyone.

"What did they do?" she asked.

"Chuck just bet Blaine Donahugh a billion dollars that he couldn't eat twelve hot dogs and go on the spinning teacups without throwing up. Blaine took his bet, tried not to throw up, and...I don't think we'll be riding the spinning teacups anymore." Serena shook her head. "Sorry, B."

Blair crinkled her face in disgust and looked back at Chuck. It was hard to see Blaine because all the teachers were around him but Chuck seemed pleased. Nate, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed. Obviously. Nate was a good boy. He followed Chuck's orders and that was why he was in trouble. She just couldn't understand why he was friends with Chuck. Then again, so was she. He listened to her go on about her nightmares last year. That was the reason they became friends. He was the only one willing to listen to her dreams and stories.

But now she hated him again. Because of him, Blaine threw up in the spinning teacups and she didn't get a chance to ride them. It was the one thing she had been looking forward to on their field trip. It would have been her first 'big person' ride. It would have made her feel like a grown up. Too bad it wasn't going to happen now. Stupid Chuck Bass ruined her fun. That was the only reason everyone was gathering around the teachers now. Her skin crawled when she saw Chuck wink at her. Gross. Everything about him was gross.

"All right, kids. I'm sorry to say that there will be no riding on the teacups today!" their teacher announced once all the children had gathered around. Several groans erupted in the crowd. "You can thank your classmates for this. But that doesn't mean that the fun ends! You will have plenty to do and we still have time. Be sure to stay with your buddies and your group leaders..."

Once again, it fell on deaf ears as the children ran off to do various things. All except for Blair, of course. She didn't want anything but the teacup ride. So much for being a grown up today.

"Come on, B!" Serena tugged at her sleeve. "Let's go on the Ferris Wheel."

"We already went on the Ferris Wheel!" Blair complained. "I wanted to ride the teacups!"

"You know we can't! Besides, there's other stuff to do."

"Like what?"

"Like...ride the roller coaster?" Serena suggested. "Or those big swings?"

"Those rides are for babies," she pouted. "There are no other rides besides the teacups. Just like there's no other school but Yale."

Serena rolled her eyes at that. "You're six. Why are you thinking about college now?"

"Because Daddy went there and I'm going there!" she said. "Everything else is a trade school! That's why I'm going to be the best at everything! I'm going to be a doctor and a lawyer and the President and a tree!"

"...B, you can't be a tree. Not even someone smart like you can be a tree."

"You're not getting it, S! Riding the teacup was the most important thing for me to do today! It would make me a grown up!" she sulked. "And now I can't ride it."

"But there's other stuff to do. Let's go eat something," Serena suggested. "Someone said they're making fried ice cream!"

"Ew!"

"Come on, it'll be cool!" With that, she started to drag Blair through the rest of the carnival. It was all right as long as they stuck together and they checked with the group leader. If they didn't go too far, then they could go out on their own. Serena kept making promises that something cool would come along so Blair followed. Maybe she did something else, she could forget about the teacups.

"Going somewhere, ladies?"

Or not. She sucked in her breath and turned to find Chuck and Nate right behind them. Unfortunately, those two were on Team Yellow as well. Wherever she and Serena went, they tagged along. Until they decided to make someone sick like Blaine. Nate was still embarrassed about the whole thing but Chuck didn't seem to suffer a bit. He had that gross smirk on his face and not a trace of remorse. He didn't care that he took away her chance to be a grown up.

"Go away, Chuck," she sneered at him. "I hate you."

"That's not a nice thing to say to your friend."

"I don't want you as a friend."

"Aw, come on, I got you a present!" Chuck tried to give her puppy dog eyes. Jerk. So she spent a few times telling him her nightmares. Big deal. "Don't you want to know what it is?"

"I don't want anything from you!" she snapped. "You're gross! You're mean! And you ruined everything!"

Chuck turned to Nate and Serena, completely confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't want to be your friend!" she finally blurted out. "I only went to you because Nate and Serena were asleep. I don't like you enough to be your friend or want you as a friend. No one does. They only hang with you cause you have money, not cause they like you! So just do me a favor and...get lost!"

If Blair Waldorf ever needed proof that words could hurt, that was it. Chuck's smile vanished and he looked down at her folded hands. Probably where he had been hiding his 'present'. "Fine. I'll go away forever."

"Good!"

"She doesn't mean that!" Serena pointed out. "Tell him, B. You know you didn't mean that!"

"Yeah, Blair's just mad!" Nate added. "I like you! You can stay, Chuck!"

But Blair wasn't going to take the words back and Chuck's mind was made up. He flung something to the ground before turning around and running off. Serena and Nate both called after him, trying to mend the broken bond between them. But it was too late and she didn't care. Who wanted to be friends with Chuck Bass anyway?

"B..." Serena began. "You shouldn't have said that."

"Well, it's true!" she huffed. "Who would care about him?"

"I don't know but I think he cared about you," Nate said, handing her a note. "That's why he got you this."

She took the note and read it to herself. Chuck had scrawled it all with crayon and it was no epic poem. Not to mention, his spelling wasn't prefect except for his name. She could understand what he was saying though. He obviously meant the words in it.

Blair,

Sorry. Here. Friends?

-Chuck Bass

Blair read the note again. Even at six, he wrote his full name. "What is the present?"

"Here." Serena handed her a plastic ring. "It's a friendship ring. He was going to give it to you."

"He was," Nate assured her. "He told me he wanted to give to you. He was sorry. We didn't know Blaine could puke that much."

And if there was a time in her life that she felt guilty, it was now. "Find Chuck and tell him I'm sorry. We can be friends."

Serena turned around in hopes of seeing Chuck there. But he wasn't. "Um...where'd he go?"

Nate followed her gaze as well and around. There was no sign of Chuck anywhere. They saw a lot of people from Team Yellow but no Chuck Bass walking around.

"Someone call 911!" Nate yelled. "Call 911!"

Blair and Serena both began look around, calling for Chuck. No one seemed to respond. So many kids but no Chuck Bass. Blair just looked down at the crumpled note and the friendship ring, feeling guilty. She had no idea why but she felt responsible. She yelled at him and drove him away. She told him to get lost and he did. Now no one could find him.

And looking how quickly the carnival was growing and all the people running around, he would never be found.

TBC...

~ ~ ~

**Note**: Sorry for this doozy. This chapter was going to be longer but...I thought about tormenting you guys more with a cliffhanger. As you can see, future CB have better relationships with Brooklyn (or at least Blair does) and those will come into play later. In the meantime, I'm going to try and work on my EL's sequel and "Postcards" for those waiting for updates. Thanks for all your support as always. Tons of love! ~CT


	3. Chapter 3

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**Notes**: Thanks to Dawn for the beta and for filling in my blanks (believe me, my brain goes blank a lot). GG isn't mine still. CB would have happened much sooner and wouldn't have gone through so many loops last season if it belonged to me.

~ ~ ~

**Chapter 3: Search Party and Lessons Learned**

One hour and four huge plates of cake later, Blair was finished. It seemed that the baby was stuffed too. Normally, all that eating disgusted her but this was different. This time she could use the baby as an excuse. She had been eating for two for the last couple of months.

"Thank you, Dorota. You have been such a big help." Blair handed her the plate and patted her husband on the back. "You're no longer a table."

"Good to know," he murmured, rolling back to face her. What had started out as one piece of cake turned out to be four empty plates, nothing but crumbs and melted ice cream lining them. Dorota was collecting the plates and fixing up a heating pad for Blair's back. Since getting pregnant, everything ached in her body. If she was standing, she was pain. Sitting down, she was in pain. No matter what she did, something was hurting.

"You eat very well, Miss Blair," Dorota said with approval. "All gone. Baby is going to be healthy."

"From eating ice cream cake?" Chuck asked. "What's so healthy about that?"

"Baby has sweet tooth. Big deal, Mr. Chuck." She gave him a disapproving look. Clearly, she expected him to be a more supportive husband. After all, he had knocked her up. This was going to be his child too. According to Dorota, Chuck wasn't a good husband right now. He didn't pay much attention to Lamaze class and he was insensitive towards homemade gifts. Blair still bawled anytime someone mentioned the word 'booties'. Even if it wasn't the right context, she cried. The stupid hormones were taking over her.

"Anything else, Miss Blair?" Dorota looked over at Chuck. "?"

"I think we're good for now. Thank you, Dorota. You can go." She nodded at the maid. "Be sure you turn off the light when you leave."

"Yes, Miss Blair. Good night. And good night, Mr. Chuck." With that, the lights went off and the two of them were left in the dark. It should have been the point where they both fell asleep. Blair's appetite had been satisfied, the baby was fed, and Chuck wanted to go back to his dream. He wanted to start off where he had left off; going down on Blair. The good part hadn't even begun when he had been woken up.

Obviously, Blair had other plans. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Chuck! The baby is kicking!"

He groaned as she placed his hand on the cold part of her stomach. Sure enough, there was a kick. It was just like all the other kicks. "The baby kicks all the time! I felt him kicking the last time you told me he was kicking!"

"You're still calling it a him!"

"Better than calling the kid an 'it'." He looked down at her stomach and shook his head. "Sorry you have to listen to this. I bet you want to stay in there forever now."

"Don't be mean to the baby," she scolded him. "You heard what Dorota said before. Pay attention in Lamaze class. You have to speak nicely to the baby. Encourage it to come out and see the world. Tell it that it's worthy of life."

Worthy of life? That was a whole different level of strange. He gave up trying to talk to her and the baby. Instead, he just stared at her stomach. Blair was still beautiful while pregnant. In fact, she was better looking. She complained a lot more and had a ton of pain everywhere. But she was a lovely woman with her puffy eyes and worn out expression. While she was excited to give birth, she was also looking forward to the day she wasn't carrying the child. The pain would be gone and the two of them would be sharing child caring duties.

"Chuck?" she began.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're still here."

Those words were all too familiar. He rolled over on his side and stared back at the wedding picture. How the hell did everyone from Brooklyn end up in this picture? It was supposed to have been him, Blair, Nate, and Serena forever. They were still friends of course. But he had come a little too close to losing them at that carnival. At the same time, he had almost lost himself.

~ ~ ~

**Kindergarten: Age Six cont**

"Dorota! Dorota, we are in trouble!" Blair began to scream. Even though Dorota was not exactly a guardian, she was the group leader of Team Yellow. None of the parents were able to make this trip so Blair enlisted the help of her maid. Dorota had been happy to oblige because it meant getting out of the house. It was supposed to be a quiet moment. However, all the screaming had gotten rid of the quiet.

"What wrong, Miss Blair?" Dorota asked when she saw the three children running up. Someone was clearly missing. "Where your friend go? One in purple and pink?"

"Chuck disappeared!" Serena exclaimed. "He went 'poof' into thin air! Like magic!"

"Call 911!" Nate went on. He had been yelling that since they noticed Chuck was gone. He was also coming up with all the possible scenarios. "Maybe he got kidnapped by aliens and they're going to eat his brain! Or maybe they're going to replace with a robot Chuck! Or maybe they'll replace his brain with Mickey Mouse's brain!"

"Nate, please!" Blair pleaded. The last thing she wanted to think about was Chuck's brains getting eaten by aliens. She turned to Dorota. "I don't know what happened. I got mad at him, told him to go away, and he did!"

Dorota gasped. "Miss Blair, why? Chuck is friend, no?"

"Well, uh..." Blair looked down at the ground. How could she look at Dorota in the eye and tell her that Chuck's disappearance was her fault? He had run off because of her. He probably felt like he didn't belong and ran off. "I'm sorry, Dorota."

"Miss Blair..." Dorota sighed. "What you say to him?"

"That I didn't want to be his friend," she murmured. "I told him to get lost and that he was gross." Then she remembered the spinning teacups being closed because of Chuck. "But he ruined my chance at going on the teacups!"

"So teacup more important that friendship?" Dorota gave her a stern look. Even though she was a maid, there were certain perks to being a group leader. She had to act as the parental unit for Team Yellow. If it meant dealing punishment out, so be it. And from the looks on the other three, it seemed like now was a good time to teach them a lesson.

"I was looking forward to it, Dorota," Blair went on.

"You can go on teacups another time, Miss Blair. You have plenty time to go on teacups," Dorota said. "But friend...not easy to get. Very easy to lose."

"She's right, B," Serena said. "Remember when I stole your purple blanket? You said you never wanted to speak to me again. It took you two days to say sorry. But you said goodbye in a second."

Nate, on the other hand, was barely paying attention to the conversation. He was still trying to think of all the things that could have happened to Chuck. He wanted to know exactly what Chuck would be interested in. "Maybe he's going to be part of the circus now! He's going to be shot out of a cannon! Oh, maybe he's going to put his head in the lion's mouth!"

"Nate!" Blair hissed.

"Sorry. I'm just trying to figure out where he'd go." Nate shrugged. "I thought it could help us out."

"You see, Miss Blair." Dorota nodded. "Friendship important. Just like you and Miss Serena are friends. You and Mr. Chuck are friends too. Be good friend."

"She's right, B," Serena said. "He gave you that ring for a reason. He wanted to be your friend. You told him you were his friend, right?"

"But...he's kind of gross and mean."

"He's boy. All boys gross and mean sometimes."

"Not Nate! Right, Nate?"

"...What do you think Chuck's brain looks like?" Nate asked, still on his alien theory. "I bet it's purple. He likes purple."

"Okay, never mind." Blair sighed. "So I should find him and apologize right? I made him go away."

"We find him together," Dorota said. "And when we find him, you say sorry. You be good friend to him. All of you." She eyed Serena and Nate as well. Her glare was heavy and they both sunk down from it. "I do not care who started mess. But we find Mr. Chuck safe and sound first. Come now."

"Now? Shouldn't we call 911 if he's abducted by aliens?" Nate asked.

"We call police," Dorota said, grabbing all the three children by the hand. "You tell them what you do, Miss Blair. Then maybe we find him and bring him home, okay?"

"Okay," the three of them said, willing to follow her. If anyone could find Chuck Bass in a crowd, it would be Dorota. She had found three mice hiding in the Waldorf's house once even though no one knew where they lived. In an hour, she located where they had made their home. A child would be easier to find than mice. Especially if that child had a strange sense of fashion like Chuck Bass.

Nate continued on with his conspiracy theories. "What if he's invisible? Maybe he's right behind us and we can't see him when we turn around. Or maybe's floating in the sky! Yeah, he could be floating!

Blair looked behind her, in hopes that Chuck was following them. Invisible or not, she wanted to say sorry to him. To accept the ring and his friendship. To tell him that everything was okay and they would never fight like this again.

But Nate was wrong. He was nowhere to be found.

TBC...

~ ~ ~

**Note**: I know, I know, I'm awful for doing this. I should work on something else but I can't. This story is eating me alive. There's something about children and CB having a baby that makes the whole thing far too appealing. More characters to come later. I hope to work on something else soon. Thank you all for being so patient.


	4. Chapter 4

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**AN: **GG is still not mine and thanks to Dawn for the beta (and all of you that are still sticking around with this).

**Chapter 4: Baby Names and Aliens**

Chuck woke up to find Blair out of bed already. She had to have gotten mad that he wasn't up when she was. These days, Blair's biological clock was off. She would go to bed at seven on some nights and wake up at four AM on others. Pregnancy was driving him just as crazy. He couldn't wait until the baby was here and their lives would return to normal.

But there was no use in making Blair wait for him. He got dressed and decided to see what shenanigans she was up to now. Downstairs, he could hear a conversation that she was having with someone. As he listened in, he could make out the other person: Serena. No surprises there.

It was a routine now. Serena would stop by early and the two would go on about their new favorite thing: baby names. It seemed that his sister was more excited about the new arrival than he was. Ever since Blair announced the pregnancy, Serena began planning the whole thing. She had already gotten them everything for the nursery. Now she had moved on to buying baby clothes and other necessities and she was loving every minute of the baby shopping.

As he headed down the stairs, he could hear an argument brewing although Blair was the only one who seemed angry. Serena remained calm and reassuring. "It can't be that bad."

"Kortney Bass? Kortney with a K? No, S. That sounds like some Paris Hilton look-a-like's name! Come on, give me something else!"

"Okay, how about Piper?"

"Ugh, reminds me of _Charmed_...especially how bad it got without Shannen Doherty and her wandering pupil. Come on, give me something else."

"Well, if you have a boy, how about you name him after Chuck?"

"No way! One is enough. I don't know if I can live with my son using "I'm Chuck Bass Jr" as an excuse for everything!" He heard Blair bang her fist on the table. "Come on, S. Be more creative! This baby is due any day and we still don't know what to name it."

"How about...Audrey?"

"Audrey." Blair thought it over. Naming the child after Audrey Hepburn couldn't hurt if it was a girl. "That's a possibility. Mark that one down."

"I like that one too," Chuck said, finally getting into the kitchen. Both women greeted him with a smile. "When we have a girl, keep that one in mind."

"It's settled then. Audrey is a top choice," Blair said.

"Good morning, Beautiful." He gave her a kiss, then looked at Serena. Like Blair, she was older and prettier, dressing more classy. Inside, however, she remained the same person she had always been. "And I should say that you look ravishing as well, Sis."

"Well, it's good to know fatherhood isn't going to change everything about my brother," Serena said. "How are you?"

"Still waiting," he admitted, looking at Blair's stomach. She now had that 'pregnant glow' that all expecting women got. It made her look more amazing, not worse. "My heir is in there."

"Your heir? What country has you as its king?" Blair snorted. "And how come I'm not the queen of it?"

"Well, you're the queen of my heart. Isn't that enough?"

"...It's something," she decided.

"You guys are so cute. All these years and you're still cute. Oh, by the way, I saw this and had it made specially for the baby and this is my early baby shower gift to you!" Serena pulled something out of a bag. "Ta da! Jenny put the little designs and the special message on it."

It was a horrible mustard yellow colored baby outfit with stamps stitched all over it. There were stamps all over the chest and stomach and a few on the derriere. In bright green letters, 'SHIP ME TO AUNT SERENA'S HOUSE' was stitched across the front. He wasn't sure what this was but it was ugly.

Serena, on the other hand, was beaming with delight. "I thought this was the cutest idea ever! And this isn't the only one the baby is getting. I had several of this outfits made but with different people's names: Nate, Jenny, Mom, Rufus, Eric. By the way, there are three sets for the grandparents: one for Mom and Rufus, one from Blair's mom and Cyrus, and one for Blair's Dad and Roman! I also have matching booties, mittens for when it gets cold, a hat, and a cloth diaper!"

Chuck took one more look at the horrible mustard-colored monstrosity before shaking his head. His child would not be seen in this. "No."

"Come on! It's cute!"

"No son of mine is wearing..." He pointed to it. "Whatever that is you bought. And Jenny Humphrey can do much better than stamps."

"Chuck, look at it! It's precious!" She showed off the back where two stamps were stitched on the rear end. "You have to let the baby wear this if I'm going to baby sit. And you know that I'm going to baby sit because you two will...well, you'll need privacy." Serena was still waving the ugly thing around. "And I know you're both aching for it. You can't hide this from me anymore."

"Actually, S, I haven't thought about it in forever...because Chuck will never touch me again after this." Blair glared at him. "One night. One night was fine, you said. One night won't hurt us if we don't use a condom. I listened to you and this happens."

He could not believe he was hearing this. First the ugly outfit, now Blair refused to touch him. "I need a drink."

"No!" This time it was Dorota barking at him. She had come in with breakfast and to give him another lecture. "No drink for baby, Mr. Chuck!"

"...I'm getting the drink, not giving it to Blair."

"Baby can see everything," Dorota said knowingly. "Baby know when you do good and bad. Baby not happy when Mr. Chuck go drunk."

It made no sense to him but he gave up. Dorota was still more loyal to Blair than him and she could kill him in his sleep. Much as he hated to admit it, the maid scared him sometimes, but he could not blame Dorota for anything. After all, he owed a lot to her. Especially back in the day. She saved him when no one else wanted to.

~ ~ ~

**Age Six, Concluded**

Blair Waldorf made him angry.

Okay, she was a pretty girl and she told good stories about her dreams, but she was a horrible friend. No wonder his father told him never to get close with girls now. They had a way of leaving you forever. Just like his mother. Not that he knew who she was, she had been gone ever since he was a baby. Blair was no different and he was dumb to think that she was.

He wanted to teach the others a lesson so he ran from them. He wanted them to feel bad. He wanted them to cry for him and be sorry he was gone. But wandering around did not help his feet so he finally sat down under a tree and waited for someone to find him. After all, he was Chuck Bass. If anyone cared about him, they would come for him. And if they didn't, his father would sue them.

_Or not._ There was some doubt in his mind. Bart Bass could be cold to him. Some jerk told him it was because Chuck's mother died while giving birth to him. He didn't know how this guy knew but that thought dragged him down. What if it was true? Would his father hate him for something like that? Was he a mommy killer? And if his father did hate him, then who loved him?

Not Blair. No, that girl was horrible. Nate could have her if he wanted. Although he would feel bad for his best friend, at least she'd be someone else's problem. He couldn't believe he was stupid enough to believe her. She was snotty and mean and annoying like all the other girls. It was a shame because he thought she would be different. He thought she was someone who would see him as more than Chuck Bass. Someone who would like him as a friend.

Relaxing under the tree, he heard something crinkling. What was it? He looked behind him to see nothing. Then another crinkle sound. What could that be? Nate had been talking about alien abductions the last three days. He mentioned how the aliens would have octopus tentacles and sucked brains out of their victims. Then they would replace the brains with brains of other animals and turn people into zombies. So far, five people had been turned into zombies and were doing weird things.

When Chuck first heard this, he wondered if aliens had sucked Nate's brain out. Now he was wondering about the abduction stories. Everyone that had been abducted had been alone. They had heard a sound right before they were taken to the mother ship. Was that this? Did aliens make crinkle sounds? Was his brain going to be sucked out and replaced with something else? Would he end up being a Chuck Bass zombie?! Now he was getting scared and wishing he didn't run away. He didn't want his brain gone. They needed to take someone else to the mother ship. Maybe somebody from Brooklyn would be a better fit.

Something grabbed him from behind, causing him to yell, "I'm Chuck Bass!"

"...I know that," Blair replied. "And I was hoping it was you."

He turned to see an entire search party behind her. Dorota, Blair's maid, was holding onto Serena and Nate. There were several other adults including the police, carnival officials, and...to his shock...his father. Everyone started talking at once with Bart Bass trying to break through the crowd, but Blair was the one who made it to him first, the one who was still looking at him. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't make out. It seemed like she was ashamed.

"I thought you were an alien," he said. "Like the ones that Nate talked about."

"Nate was probably abducted by aliens," Blair murmured, looking down at her feet. "Look, Chuck, I just wanna say...well, I'm trying..." She had a hard time with this. Why was Dorota making her apologize? She never made anybody apologize. "Chuck, I never did this before, but Dorota said I should do it. It's the right thing to do."

"Did what? Look at your feet?"

"No, I never said I'm sorry. Because I am," she said, finally looking up. "I said bad things to you. I lied to you. I made you run away. And now I'm in trouble because I did. Even Dorota said I was a bad girl. Dorota never said I was a bad girl and now…" Her eyes welled up. "I feel like a bad girl. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said. It wasn't the most elaborate apology but at least she meant these words. He had no reason to question anything. He could see it all in her eyes. She felt bad and she wanted him to know it.

"Are you mad at me?"

"I'm glad you're not an alien who wants to suck my brain out."

She smiled. "Thanks, Chuck. I feel better."

"Me too. So...we're really friends?"

"Yeah. We're really friends."

The conversation had to end there because Bart finally made it and picked Chuck up, asking his son a million questions. Harold came over to pull Blair away with a "We need to have a talk about respecting others, young lady" and Nate wanted to know if aliens landed in New York. Again. All the questions and talking kept him from Blair that night but at least he had some relief.

As Bart carried him away, Chuck looked over at Blair who was also being led away with a lecture. She turned to see him and he waved at her. She waved back, hoping that this would be the end of everything. She had apologized and no longer had to agonize over Chuck's disappearance.

Yet there was nothing she could do. Chuck was her friend and she was his. This time, she was not ashamed about it. Apologies did a lot of things and strengthening a bond between two people was no exception.

TBC...

**Note**: Wow, I take a long time with these things, don't I? Sorry, guys. I promise to move a little faster when I have a less hectic time at home. I doubt this one will get as long as "Postcards" is looking right now. And yes, everyone will more or less be in this. Some more than others but I'm trying to fit the whole family/friends/etc in. Thanks for all your support here! It's much appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**Disclaimer: GG still isn't mine and thank you to Dawn for the beta-ing**

**Chapter 5: Snuggie, Diaper Genie, and The Magic Rock**

Blair being pregnant was never a problem. She found out quickly when she started feeling sick. She had been taking care of herself and Chuck looked after her, so she went to the doctor when she had the feeling that she was "going to explode". The doctor had to correct her; she was not going to explode, she was going to have a baby. Her reaction to the news was calm...until she got on the phone with Serena. Then she was in hysterics. Before anyone had time to digest the news, it was posted in Gossip Girl's blog.

**Spotted: One of our well-known Upper East Siders is on Baby Bump Watch! Her initials are the same as Baby Bump...and this time, it's for real. Enjoy yourselves while you can, New York City. Baby Bass is going to take over in nine months.**

Chuck didn't find out from Blair or Gossip Girl about the pregnancy. Instead, it was Carter Baizen who dropped the news. He had entered Chuck's office somehow and offered his congratulations. Chuck fumed the whole time Carter was making his way around the room, talking about how nice pictures would look in it. School pictures. Prom pictures. Family pictures. It didn't take very long for Chuck to get what he was hinting at.

"She told you and not me?" he demanded.

"Relax. I'm sure you'd learn soon. Think about it, Bass. You're going to be a father. It's big news." Carter smirked. "You spent your whole life driving around in your limo, making love to women in it, and taking...your wife's virginity, if I remember." Chuck's eyes flashed angrily as Carter quickly added. "She told me about it during our little fling. Well, now you're going to be using that limo to drive to baseball practices and piano recitals and ballet lessons..."

"No son of mine is taking ballet lessons!"

"You don't know what it is yet, Bass. Anyway, congratulations on the new arrival."

At home, Blair was ready with the news. All of New York knew that she was expecting. It was a mix of excitement, fear, and regrets rolled in one. Serena seemed to be the most excited out of everyone. It gave her an excuse to check out all the latest baby outfits and items needed. She had bought several tapes on pregnancy and parenthood. She got Jenny to make baby quilts and pillows and all kinds of tiny little booties, which Chuck hated. There were already two million stuffed animals in the baby's room, including a stuffed dolphin that sang lullabies. They were ready with diapers, nannies, and strollers to take the baby out, but deep down, neither one was prepared.

Serena always brought something new for the child. In addition to the horrible mustard-colored outfit, she had something called a Snuggie. It was bright blue and stitched on the back of it was the following: PROUD TO BE A BASS. It was even more embarrassing than the baby outfit. What made Serena think these were good ideas?

"You put it on the front to carry the baby around in," she explained, showing Blair how to wear it. "In case you get tired of carrying it or using the stroller. It's so comfortable that the baby won't have to be anywhere else! You and Chuck take turns wearing this!"

Chuck got a quick vision of him wearing the Snuggie. "I'm not going to be seen in public wearing that!"

"Oh, but you'll wear it in the house? That is so sweet of you," Blair murmured. Damn, he hadn't thought about the indoors. Before he could protest this, Blair turned her attention back to Serena. "I'm so glad you're taking care of all of this. No one else is reliable. I told Dorota to get something and she came back with diapers but not the Diaper Genie." At this, she began to sob. "I love the Diaper Genie!"

There it was. If Blair wasn't raging and crazy, she was emotional about ridiculous things. Now was definitely one of those times. Serena looked up helplessly at Chuck, wishing she could do something. But it was best to let Blair cry out her emotions. The last time anyone got involved, Blair's rage returned and she threw her shoes at Dan Humphrey. Not that Chuck was sorry to see Humphrey getting yelled at, but he did not want to be in the same place.

"I love the Snuggie!" Blair sobbed.

"I'm so glad you do, B," Serena murmured, still looking at Chuck. She was obviously thinking what he was thinking; they might not have been related by blood, but their thoughts remained the same. Neither could believe that all the years spent together led to this.

It wasn't like the magic rock.

~ ~ ~

**Age Eight, In the..."Wilderness"**

"Okay!" Serena dropped a giant rock in front of everyone. She stood in front of the fireplace and looked at the three people before her. Nate, Chuck, and Blair waited with their stuffed animals for the rules to this game. "It's time to play Magic Rock!"

"What's Magic Rock?" Nate asked. It was the first thing he said since they had been dropped off at this 'campsite'. Of course, the 'campsite' was really the Waldorf's house. No one was going to real camp anytime soon so they were going to pretend. Of the three, Nate was the most scared. He clutched the stuffed panda bear that he had brought along. It didn't matter that they weren't really in the woods. He was still away from his family. So the idea of a 'magic rock' now intrigued him.

"We tell stories using the Magic Rock," Serena explained. "Whoever has the rock in their hands, tells a part of the story. They don't stop until they give the rock to someone else."

"What kind of stories?" Blair asked.

"We just make them up. Like...okay, I'll show you. I'm going to start because I have the magic rock." Serena took it. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Snow White. And she lived with her father and evil..." She handed the rock to Chuck. "Now it's Chuck's turn to tell the rest of the story until he gives the rock to someone else. Got it?"

"No. Because I already know the story about Snow White! I had to play Sneezy, remember?" Chuck grumbled, still remembering the horrors of their first grade class play. Aside from an itchy costume and not getting to kiss Snow White aka Blair Waldorf (Nate got the role of the Prince), Bart Bass had come to town for this wonderful occasion. While he never told Chuck exactly what he thought of the performance, he had taken plenty of videos of Chuck's scenes. Apparently, he watched them over and over again.

"Make up a story, Chuck!" Serena snapped. "You have the magic rock!"

"Fine." Chuck rolled his eyes and turned to his stuffed purple frog, Howard. Howard seemed to be the only person not into this magic rock mess, but Howard couldn't say a thing about it. He was too busy staring at Arnold, Nate's stuffed panda. "Once upon a time, there was a magic...stock market!"

"What?!" Blair explained. "Stock markets aren't magic! Daddy said so!"

"I have the magic rock so I'm telling the story!" Chuck shot back.

"He has a point, B," Serena added.

Still, Chuck wanted to change it. "Okay, once upon a time, there was a magic hotel. It was also a dangerous hotel. Because in it...there were headless ghosts that howled!"

"How can a ghost if it's headless? It doesn't have a mouth!" Blair explained.

"Excuse me, I have the magic rock," Chuck reminded her. "Anyway, people were scared to go in it because it was haunted. Until one day..." He handed the rock to Blair. "Okay, now you finish it."

Blair frowned but took the magic rock from him. "One day, they realized that ghosts couldn't howl if they were headless. So they thought it was something else. The people in the hotel looked in all the rooms and saw nothing. Except there was one room that no one went into. It was..." She handed the rock to Serena.

"Room 11!" Serena exclaimed. "No one that went in room 11 ever came back out alive! All that came out of it was..."

"DEAD BODIES!" Chuck stole the magic rock from her. "And aliens! And a bunch of zombie clowns that ate your brains while you slept!"

"Ew, no!" Blair griped, taking the rock from him. "Really, what came out of the room was the cleaning lady...but she was not an ordinary cleaning lady, she was..."

"A ZOMBIE!" Chuck took the rock from her.

"You guys, share that rock!" Serena took it from Chuck. "So the zombie cleaning lady was the one responsible for killing people. She ate their brains while they slept and lived with aliens in the attic. That's also where she hid the dead bodies. But no one ever suspected a thing because..."

"She was a headless ghost too!" Chuck took the rock. "A headless zombie ghost who lived with aliens and dead bodies in an attic and ate people's brains! She also liked to steal teeth from the Tooth Fairy!"

"There is no such thing as Tooth Fairy!" Blair pointed out. "Just like there's no such thing as Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or Communism!"

"This is a story! Any story can have...Communism in it! Plus I have the magic rock! I'm telling it now!"

"Well, not anymore!" Blair took it from him. "Unfortunately for the evil cleaning lady, the ghost catchers came and caught her and saved all the people that was she was eating..."

"How can they save someone that she's eating? They're already dead!"

"You guys!" Serena kept pleading despite no one listening. When that didn't work, she took the rock away. "The hotel was no longer haunted and there were no more dead people and aliens and everyone lived happily ever after! The end!"

There was a good moment of silence between them. Blair glared at Chuck while he shot glares back at her. It became too much. The two of them started laughing at the idiocy of their magic rock story. Then Serena joined in. Finally, Nate started to laugh though he wasn't sure why. Their scary story turned out to be a comedy that had all four in stitches on the carpet.

"That was the worst story ever!" Blair exclaimed. "Headless ghosts, zombies, aliens...how did that end happily ever after?"

"I don't know but it was great. Let's do it again!" Chuck added. "Let's do it right this time!"

"Okay!" Serena sat up and took the rock. It was time for another round of Magic Rock. "But before we do it again, is there anything we need to do first?"

Nate raised his hand. "Can someone pass me the rock? I wanna to tell a story too."

TBC...

**Note: **I was going to do one of the other stories but then I got stuck in a hospital's gift shop and the baby section. I think it's the headbands that did me in ;)


	6. Chapter 6

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

Disclaimer: GG is still not mine and thanks to Dawn for the beta.

**Chapter 6: The Good Fairy and Evil Witch's Helper # 5**

Five minutes passed before the doorbell rang again. This time, it was an extra large pepperoni pizza for Blair Waldorf. Her face lit up when the box was put on the table and she started digging into it when it was opened. Another delivery boy came by with sushi and a third arrived with hamburgers and fries. All of them were for one person and none of the delivery boys were surprised. This wasn't Blair's usual fare of food but pregnancy gave her cravings.

"What are you doing?" Chuck demanded. "None of that is good for you."

"I don't want it. The baby does." She stuffed twenty fries into her mouth and was digging through two slices of pepperoni pizza. Then she went for the hamburgers.

"The baby isn't out of your womb yet. How does it know what it wants?"

She stopped eating, mouth slathered in tomato sauce and ketchup. "Are you saying our baby is going to be stupid? That it can't make decisions for itself?!"

No. He had done it. He had caused Mt. Blair to erupt. "Are you saying that our child does not know what's good for them? That they can't choose to eat junk now and then?! ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY THAT THIS CHILD LACKS A MIND OF ITS OWN?!"

"Is okay, Miss Blair!" Dorota stepped in to calm Blair down. She had now dissolved into tears over the sushi and fries. "Mr. Chuck know nothing about children cause he no pay attention to Lamaze class...as usual." She shot an angry look at him. There was nothing he could do about it. He had learned a long time ago to never mess with the maid. What he said next would seal his doom.

"Yes, well, I have a few things to talk to my brother about!" Serena exclaimed, noticing the tension. She grabbed Chuck by the arm and started to lead him away. "Excuse us please!"

Chuck was not buying this excuse though he did follow her. "What do you want, Sis?"

"To get you away from Hurricane Blair. I have something to show you as well. We don't have a whole lot of time so I figured you should know. And by the way", Serena held out a piece of paper, "here are the most popular baby names that I have gathered. Look them over and discuss what is the best."

There was a huge list of baby names to choose from. Some noticed Blair's love for Old Hollywood movies and threw in some good names: Clark, Vivienne, Audrey, Grace, Rita, Cary, Gregory, Natalie, and James. Some were simple but worth thinking over. April was a nice choice for girl except their child was due in August and that would look awkward. Pearl also seemed to be a keeper as did Rosemary. Some were clearly jokes: Albus Severus, Reneesme Carlie, Luna Lovegood, Chun Li, M Bison, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Mike Seaver, Carol Seaver, Soup, Turkey and Swiss on Rye, Zob, and Bagel Land. Then some people just put colors for no reason: Purple, Pink, Green, Blue, Turquoise, Ivory, Puce, and Zac Efron Blue.

"You can't be serious," he said. "I'm not choosing any names from this."

"Okay, I did run into a few people who were tipsy but...at least discuss this with Blair."

"Discuss what?" He crumpled the paper up. "The baby is due at the end of August. Blair is hormonal and not acting like herself. We haven't had a discussion since deciding where to put the baby's room. You see how she reacts to anything."

"I know, I know. Which is why I'm hoping this will cheer her up!"

She led him into a room...that was already filled with people. He could recognize his family along with a few other people and some that he didn't know. Pink and blue decorations were everywhere along with a cake and a banner that said, 'CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW BASS!'. Someone had dumped off a table full of crabs to eat and hammers to crack them open with. Dan Humphrey and Vanessa Abrams happened to be at this table. Chuck didn't know who to glare at first, Serena or the Brooklyn crowd.

Dan picked up one of the crabs and stared at it. "You know, this one looks kind of like Chuck. The little frowny face, beady eyes, that whole 'I'm Chuck Bass' appearance." He showed the crab to Vanessa and looked back it. "I have to admit, it's kind of cute."

Then he put it on the table, picked up a hammer, and smashed the Chuck Bass crab open. It only took them a second to notice the real Chuck Bass shooting daggers at them. Vanessa tried to hide her smile and Dan looked innocent with a bit of Chuck Bass crab in his mouth.

"On the bright side, it tastes good," he said.

"What are you both doing here? What is all of this?" Chuck demanded. He looked at Serena who was beaming with excitement. "Sis, you better have a good explanation."

"The best explanation in the world! Surprise! We're throwing you a baby shower!" she squealed, hugging him.

"A baby shower? You've had a baby shower ever since Blair announced she was pregnant! Every month, we had nothing but baby showers!"

"I know but since the baby's almost here...let's throw one more!"

He wanted to protest badly but it was too late. Serena was thrilled with her latest surprise baby shower and he couldn't ruin it. After all, Serena did help him out in many ways. She was the one who helped sort out his feelings. She knew him better than he knew himself. She noticed it from the very beginning.

**Age Ten: Almost Christmas Time, Central Park**

"And guess who is getting the lead in the school's Christmas play?" Blair asked. Nate and Chuck both looked at each other. No other answer would have sufficed. Blair would not hear of anyone else playing the good fairy except for her. Not that she actually had the part; they were all waiting for Serena to bring the news over.

"You, Blair. Always you." Nate nodded. "Because you're a good actress. Like in the fall play, you played a big part."

"Yeah. Witch Number Three." Chuck rolled his eyes. Unlike everyone else, he didn't want to feed into these crazy ideas Blair had. He wanted to wait for the news first. It wasn't that he wanted her to fail but Blair Waldorf took everything to the next step for no reason.

"I made my part amazing though!" Blair exclaimed.

"You punched Hazel by accident and she was unconscious for the rest of your scene."

Nate smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah, I remember that. You know that wasn't a nice thing to do, Blair."

"Please! Hazel was in my way and trying to steal my glory!" Blair snapped. Then she smiled and smoothed out her bright red coat. "But I'm not worried this time. My competition is very small. The good fairy is dainty and poised and not dancing around some big old boiling pot with other witches."

"Uh-huh." Nate nodded, still mesmerized by Blair pretending to be a fairy. Chuck had to hold back the witty remark he had. He knew Nate was currently crushing on Blair. He could tell from all the N & B signs he wrote on everything. He had even written NB 4ever in the snow. It was almost funny how lovesick Nate Archibald had become.

Yet Chuck couldn't bring himself being happy about this. Two of his best friends dating. He couldn't picture them as a perfect couple. They'd be frigid and boring if they got together. Now if it were Chuck and Blair; that was another story. Blair got snippy and acted more like herself around Chuck. They would have an interesting relationship if they ever got far. But no. Nate had his eye on Blair. Nate always got what he wanted.

They waited for a good five minutes before Serena showed up.

"Finally!" Chuck sighed. "Let's get this over with."

"Serena, Serena, Serena!" Blair squealed, running over to her friend. "I got it, didn't I?! I got the part of the good fairy! That's what you came to tell me."

To everyone's shock, Serena didn't look as happy. "Well, B...you got a part. It's just not the part you wanted."

Blair's face fell. "I'm not the good fairy?"

Serena shook her head. "I'm sorry, B. But you're still in the play!"

"As what?"

"...Evil Witch's Helper #5."

Blair blinked. Then her mouth started opening and closing. "Evil...evil witch's helper? A helper?! THE FIFTH HELPER?!"

"Yeah."

"Ouch," Nate whispered. "I hate to know who got the good fairy's part."

"Well, who's playing the good fairy? Is it Hazel? Because I'll give her more than a lump on the head!"Like on cue, Blair demanded.

"It's not Hazel."

"And Hazel Williams lives for another day," Chuck said.

"Well, then, who stole my part from me?!"

"Um..." Serena looked at the ground. "Blair, they gave the part to me."

All the color that had been in Blair's face drained out fast. "...You?"

"I wanted to get out and give it to you!" Serena added quickly. "But they said you were better suited to play a witch's helper. According to them...you don't have innocence."

"I...I don't have innocence?"

"I'm so sorry, Blair. I wanted to give it up but...they wouldn't let me."

"Oh no," Nate whispered. "What's going to happen?"

"Ten bucks says Blair's head explodes like in that alien movie," Chuck murmured.

Blair's head did not explode. Instead, her face turned three different shades of purple before she stormed away. Serena looked embarrassed and kept looking down at her toes. The last thing she wanted to do was have the part that her best friend wanted. Blair would probably never speak to her again.

Yet this gave Chuck a good idea. He nudged Nate. "Now's your chance, Archibald."

Nate looked confused. "For what?"

"Go after Blair. She needs someone and obviously she doesn't want to talk to Serena. You've got to tell her that it's not the end of the world."

"Yeah but...what if she doesn't listen to me either?"

"She will. Tell her that she did her best, she's still a good actress, and that she will do great. Because she will." He nodded. "Buy her candy too. Maybe a flower. Show her that she's worth something. You know it and I know it. Let her know it."

"Are you sure this will work?"

"I know it will. Now go, Archibald!" He motioned Nate to chase Blair. "Go! Before she decides to run away to Delaware or become a bag lady or something!"

"Oh...okay! Thanks, Chuck!"

As soon as Nate was gone, Serena looked over at Chuck. "You know, with the advice you gave, you sound like you care about Blair. It's like you wanted to do that yourself but were too scared to."

He shrugged. "She's my friend. I'm not scared of anything. Besides, Nate's the one that likes her as more."

_He's not the only one._ Serena thought to herself but couldn't say out loud. The picture was so clear to her and she was surprised Chuck didn't see it. The was no doubt about it. Nate Archibald was not the only one with interest in Blair Waldorf. He had competition who was giving up too easily.

But if Chuck ever got tired of chasing girls and settled down, it was still clear who his number one choice would be.

TBC...

**Author's Note**: Happy Halloween, everyone! I was going to a Halloween related chapter but then the stores started putting Christmas stuff out and this happened. Anyway, it might be a while before I update anything I again (I'm doing NaNoWriMo for the fifth time in a row) but if a genius moment hits, I might take a break from the novel. Thank you all for sticking around. It's much appreciated.

And to the person complaining about the story: Uh, yes, they will love each other but you forgot that Blair is pregnant. More specifically, she's almost at the end of this pregnancy. How can they be all passionate and having sex when she's pregnant? And if you're that worried about lack of love, trust me, they love each other. The sweet moments between them will come. In case you didn't notice, I'm only on chapter six. Who knows how long this story will last?

Furthermore, Serena is not as one-dimensional as you think she is. She notices things too. Whether or not she reacts is another thing. Nate isn't that clueless for the matter. I'm sorry if I make them deeper than they should be. But I believe they aren't idiots. And deep down, I truly believe she cares about everyone. So if you're not into her character, that's one thing. To tell me to write her as something different...no, not doing it. I don't mind criticism but telling me what I should and shouldn't put in my story is where I draw the line. I would prefer people not telling what to write. Thanks.


	7. Chapter 7

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**Disclaimer: **GG is still not mine and thanks to Dawn for beta-ing this.

**Pre-story note:** As you can see, I went the other way around. I'm going to start doing some of the past first and then follow up on the recent times. So it'll be changing up now and then. Especially as we get further along. Also, I'm sorry if the font comes out all bold (it did before so I have no idea why). I don't know why, I'm going to blame FFN having problems for it since I didn't make it all bold.

Chapter 7: The First Dance and The Last Breath

_Age 11, Ballroom Dancing Class_

"I don't wanna go!" Eric whined. "I hate this place!"

Lily Van der Woodsen couldn't believe that she was going to have the same argument with her nine year old son again. It never failed. Ever since she had signed both her children up for this class, Eric complained about everything. She had to coax him to go to lessons but now he was getting too smart for all this. While Serena looked forward to talking with Nate, Chuck, and Blair, Eric hated it namely because he hated the teachers. He also hated dancing with the girls. She figured it was because he was still young and didn't like them.

"Dear, I have been through this with you several times," she said, straightening Eric's tie. "Your teacher is not a bird nor is she a man."

"But she has a beak and a mustache!"

"She does," Serena admitted. "No one likes her, Mom."

Lily didn't know how true that statement was but it wasn't the first time she heard complaints. The ballroom teacher's name was Miss Haines though several older students referred to her as 'Miss Heinous'. She had taught champions in ballroom dance so it seemed right to send her children to the best. Since there was a class for children from ages 9-12, it was nice that both of them could be with the same teacher. So far, they were getting better at dance but the whining didn't stop. Eric hated dancing with the girls and Serena hated the way Miss Haines looked at everyone. They were both convinced that she was half-bird, half-man, and all evil.

"Have a good lesson today," she said, finally giving up. "I will see you when it's over. Try not to get into trouble this time."

Serena waved to her mother before leading Eric to the ballroom. "Come on. Maybe she shaved her mustache today."

"I don't think so," Eric murmured.

She didn't blame him for feeling the way he did. Miss Haines was strict and hardly ever praised anybody. She had a nose like a beak and beady black eyes that peered down on everyone. Chuck and Nate had nicknamed her "The Vulture" because of the way she would crane her long neck down on unsuspecting dancing couples like they were dead animals. But neither one disliked her the way that Blair did. Blair hated "The Vulture" because she never seemed to noticed Blair's improvement. She had been getting better at rumba and foxtrot yet "The Vulture" overlooked it. However, she never overlooked Blair messing up. It was frustrating to go through the lessons and not be noticed.

Right now, Serena and Eric found Blair and Chuck playing Uno on the floor of the ballroom. Blair had only two cards left while Chuck had three. It was a match that would end any minute. Chuck put down a blue card in hopes of stumping Blair. Unfortunately for him, Blair didn't have a blue card but she did have the same number that he put down: 8. Before Chuck could say a word, she blurted out, "Uno!"

"Not fair!" Chuck grumbled. "You cheated!"

"No, I didn't! You just don't want to pay up!"

"This was a stupid bet!"

"Well, you made it and now you have to pay me!"

Chuck was still grumbling and slowly began to take his bowtie off. Serena turned to Blair, slightly confused. "How is he going to pay you?"

"Well, he suggested that the loser would have to dance naked for the winner," Blair said smugly. "I guess he didn't think he'd ever lose. Now he has to do some salsa moves for me."

Serena tried to hide her laughter because Miss Haines finally caught sight of what was happening. "Mr. Bass! Miss Waldorf! Come to the center of this room immediately!"

"Uh oh! The Vulture's screaming at us!" Chuck put his bowtie back on. Blair looked embarrassed as she and Chuck headed to the middle of the room. Apparently the lesson was starting because the whole room was divided with boys on one side and girls on another. Eric quickly slipped into the boy's side while Serena went to the girls. Nate, who was coming in late, also got in with the boys and wondered what was happening. Miss Haines had a despicable smile across her bird-like face.

"Since you two enjoy spending so much time together before lessons, I'm sure you will not mind leading us into the first dance: a smooth waltz!" she announced, putting Chuck and Blair together. Then she turned to the rest of the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, once Miss Waldorf and Mr. Bass start moving, find yourselves a partner and join them. I hope you all remember what we learned last time because I will be watching you. Now when the music begins...start dancing."

Chuck grinned at Blair and bowed to her. "I get the first dance with you, Waldorf."

Blair glowered but gave him a little curtsy. "Enjoy it, Bass, cause this is your first and last dance with me. I'm breaking your legs after class."

"MISS WALDORF! MR BASS!" Miss Haines screeched. "THERE WILL BE NO TALKING DURING THE DANCE! NOW COMMENCE IN SILENCE!"

They began to dance quietly as the rest of the class joined in. Serena paired up with Nate while Eric found another girl to dance with. Blair tried to stay quiet and allowed Chuck to lead her around the room. Somehow, he had very good moves. She hadn't noticed until now. He didn't step on her toes like Nate did and he allowed her to glide in and out easily. It was funny to see this. Chuck barely listened during the lessons. He was too busy checking out the girls on the other side or making fun of The Vulture's mustache.

"How did you get so good?" she asked, forgetting all about The Vulture's orders.

"Um...I'm taking lessons? Just like you are?" he reminded her. "Of course, the only reason I am taking lessons is cause Bart wants me to. He says it will help with 'building my character'. I don't know what that means."

"Well, it's working," she said. "My toes aren't broken."

The Vulture, however, wasn't noticing how well they were doing. Instead, she paid attention to Nate and Serena. The two of them were smiling and dazzling the crowd, allowing The Vulture to smile for once. It wasn't a forced smile either.

"Very good, Miss Van der Woodsen," she complimented Serena. Then she turned to Nate. "And Mr. Archibald, you have improved greatly! I see that a new partner has certainly changed everything. From now on, I request that you and Miss Van der Woodsen dance together for the rest of your lessons. Together, you will become the greatest pupils I've ever had the pleasure of teaching!"

Chuck turned to a now enraged Blair. "Looks like we'll spend more time together, Waldorf. Isn't that fun?"

Blair tried not to scream at that.

_Present Time_

"Okay, okay, everyone stay quiet!" Serena told the group in the group. By now, almost everything was set up. Dan had found yet another Chuck Bass crab lookalike and was ready to crack it open. Vanessa had to stop him before crab bits flew out on the table. "My brother will go and get the guest of honor now!"

"No!" Chuck hissed. "You did this eight times already, sis! Give it a rest!"

"Yeah, you should have told me that before I did anything! Now go!" She shoved him towards the door. "Go get Blair and don't tell her a thing! Don't tell her that Dan is eating the crabs! Oh, and when you return, pretend to look surprised!"

Chuck wanted to say some terrible things but held back. It was too late to say no to this. Serena planned everything without letting anyone know. Oh well. Blair would get yet another baby shower where she would receive cloth diapers (which they would never use in the first place), strollers, toys, and God knew what else the baby needed. Everyone would squeal and shriek at the presents. Vanessa would tape the whole thing and they would have another video to add to unborn baby's collection.

Blair was in the living room talking to Lily. She had stopped eating long enough to do her second activity; worry out loud. Now she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted a baby. She was afraid of hurting it within the first fifteen seconds. The only way they could placate her was telling her the same thing again and again: that nothing was going to happen.

"What if something goes wrong?" she was asking. "What if the baby comes too early or doesn't come until Christmas?"

"I highly doubt any child due in August is going to come out in December, dear," Lily said. "That is far too late. And if the baby comes late or early, there's nothing to worry about. You will be in the best of hands. It happens to people. You're healthy. The baby is healthy."

"Yeah but for how long?" she asked. "I mean, Chuck doesn't know..."

"You were told this the last time you went, Blair. The baby isn't in danger."

"I know but...there's that thing..."

"Blair..." Lily kept trying to interrupt but the worries kept coming.

"Chuck will never forgive me!" she exclaimed. "Or he's never going to like the baby! What if he becomes just like his father? Because if it happens, he will. I can't go through this! I'm just going to carry the baby with me forever!"

There was a long pause after that. Chuck found himself in a tight spot and didn't know if he wanted to take her to the baby shower. She was hiding something from him. She knew something about the baby that he didn't. And while he didn't have any idea what it was, it was going to hurt her or their child. One way or another, one of them was going to get hurt.

_What if he becomes just like his father? Because if it happens, he will._

Ouch. That was the last thing he wanted. He still remembered hearing his father talk about his mother's last breath. The last breath was supposed to be like a cat's meow but no one had heard a sound from her. Evelyn Bass probably knew she would not be around so her final breath had been quiet. She had gone out peacefully but not before she struggled to give birth. She had screamed and cried and went out quietly.

It was too much. Blair was not his mother and she was not going to die. He would make sure that she didn't. Of course, she would angry that he knew but better to be angry than dead and suffering. Better to hear her screech and scream than not hear her breathing. He respected Blair but there was another life on the line. This was one secret he needed to know.

Thank God, after all these years, he still had a P.I. on speed dial.

TBC..

**Note:** I'm going to try to get back to my other fanfics, I swear. If only the show could inspire me more...For people fearing NS, don't worry. The main coupling here is CB and is going to stay that way. However, there will be NS interactions and NB interactions as well as CS ones in the past. I have to develop all of them, which might displease some of you. But honestly, I need it to happen. After all, they did grow up together.I know what I'm doing so I need you guys to trust me. Thanks.


	8. Chapter 8

_The Small Moments That Led to Chuck and Blair_

**A/N: Today is my birthday and as a birthday tradition, I either update a fic I'm writing or I write something completely new (both if possible). Since I'm having trouble coming up with the next part to the other stories, I figured no one would be upset if another Small Moments chapter came up. Thanks as always to Dawn for beta-ing and **

**Chapter 8: Complications and The Vanishing Act**

Blair had fallen asleep for only an hour before laughter woke her up. At first, she thought that she had already given birth and everyone was celebrating. The instant pain in her side told her otherwise. No, Serena was definitely planning another surprise baby shower. The laughter was from the guests. Normally, she would have been cranky but it was fine today. She needed a party and some laughter. All she had done was stress out and worry for the baby.

She could hear Dorota and Vanya's son running down the halls, laughing as he skidded across the polished floor. Then she heard Dorota scolding him in Polish and he would stop. It was a good thing that the maid had given birth all those years ago. She and Chuck needed someone who was experienced with this. Since her mother was in Paris and Lily was traveling a lot these days, Dorota had to be the one to teach her how to be a mother. While she would be there to take care of the majority of baby duties, she insisted that Blair learn them as well.

"Dorota not always going to be around," she reminded her. "Dorota old. Dorota have family. So Miss Blair need to learn to take care of own family."

The first couple of months were easy. The baby wasn't being a problem and she could have quiet time with Chuck. As the days went on, quiet time went away. She began feeling sicker and crankier. Her back ached. She was tired from morning to night. The doctors told her this was normal and that everything would be fine. Until the last appointment, everything was be fine.

Then they mentioned the complications. There was a chance that either the baby wouldn't survive or she wouldn't. It angered her and she demanded to know why they hadn't caught this sooner. Apparently, she had been doing so well, they hadn't noticed it before. The latest test showed the problems. Their baby was going to leave the womb early whether she was ready for it or not. After the delivery, they had to play a waiting game to see if it would live.

Chuck didn't know. It hurt to keep this from him but it was for the better. If he learned the truth, there was no telling how he would react. He had been through this ordeal with his father and the last thing she wanted was for him to act like Bart Bass. Besides, there was also that small chance that they would both live. Then he would be worrying for nothing. She hated seeing him on edge because it put her on edge too. For her sake and the baby's, she had to stay calm.

Tired of lying around, she decided to get up. She could still pretend that she knew nothing about the surprise party. She could act shocked. Pregnancy had changed a lot but it hadn't changed her ability to act. She'd be surprised, take in all the new gifts, and act like she needed them all. In reality, she would be returning more than half of them. Since when did she need twenty pacifiers?

Getting up would be one of her biggest mistakes. As soon as she stood up, she went down. It was hard to say how it happened because she hadn't tripped on anything. She just went down like she had been shot. Her head was spinning and she lay on the ground, still cradling her stomach. The baby. No matter what happened to her, she had to protect the baby.

"Chuck...." She managed to get out and then the world disappeared before her.

~ ~ ~

_Age 11 cont, Ballroom Party_

All those lessons were finally paying off. Blair had gotten used to dancing with Chuck even if it did make her jealous of Nate and Serena. The other two were The Vulture's golden students. It didn't matter if they tripped, she just told them that everyone made mistakes. Everyone else got glares and scoldings. Despite all this, the students tried hard and their first big performance had come up. Tonight they were going to dance for their parents. They had to show what they had learned in the past couple of weeks. It left everyone excited and nervous. Those who had gotten better couldn't wait to dance while those who still struggled wanted the night to be over.

Blair could still remember this moment. She remembered getting inside the room and taking off her coat. She remembered walking into the room where everyone else was sitting around anxiously. Serena and Nate were busy playing cards on the floor, laughing and making fun of each other. They were accusing each other of cheating but neither seemed that angry. Watching them smile made her a little jealous. Those two could get away with playing cards yet she and Chuck were yelled at when they did the same. The Vulture only got more heinous as the lessons continued. She was always giving them evil looks like she was daring them to misbehave. Wherever they went, her beady eyes followed them until they were out of her sight. It was annoying. She had once called them a married couple that could not get out of their marriage. Not that she or Chuck knew what that was supposed to mean, but Blair did not want to be married to Chuck even in a fictional world.

These days, they weren't the only ones who got in trouble. Serena's brother hated every lesson because he didn't like his bird-man teacher. Next to Chuck and Blair, The Vulture loved torturing Eric. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, he couldn't please her. The only reason he hadn't run out of the ballroom crying was because of Chuck Bass' imitation of The Vulture. Anytime he saw Eric looking upset, he did the imitation and the younger boy's spirits were lifted. As much as Blair hated to admit it, Chuck was just what Eric needed to get through the dance lessons.

"Play with us!" Serena exclaimed. "Nate's cheating but..."

"You're cheating!" Nate laughed. Then he whispered to Blair, "she really is cheating."

"I heard that! Come on, B! We can play a game before Chuck gets here."

"No, thanks. The Vulture is going to hang me upside-down if she sees me playing cards again." Still, she sat down with them and watched the game. "Chuck's not here yet? Go figure. He's probably checking out the girls in the dressing room."

"Well, his dad's not here either so..." Nate trailed off, trying to get a peek at Serena's cards. She swatted at him. "I'm not trying to cheat!"

"You're lying!"

This went on for the next half hour. Serena and Nate never managed to finish a game; eventually, they threw the cards in the air and started laughing. Blair tried to get in the mess but it was hard. Her head kept turning to the door, hoping to see the fourth member of their little club. Where was that Chuck Basstard? It wasn't a nice thing to call him but she only did it in secret. He really was a Basstard half the time. The other half of the time, he was a Basshole. Normally, she didn't care for his whereabouts but tonight, she needed him. He was her partner for the majority of these dances. If he didn't show, The Vulture would give him one her lectures later on and humiliate him in front of everyone. That was something Chuck Bass would never live down. He had to come.

"Where is he?" she muttered.

"Where's who?" Nate asked.

"Your best friend! He's supposed to be here too!"

"Maybe he's running late?"

"Doing what? Chasing some girl? He's supposed to be with me!"

"Since when are you so worried about Chuck?" Serena asked.

"I'm not! I mean I am... but I'm not worried in _that_ way." Blair was flustered now. What did she mean she was not worried in _that_ way? She didn't have feelings for Chuck Bass. No, she loved Nate. She wanted to be with Nate. Her future was to go to Yale, graduate from there, and become Mrs. Nathaniel Archibald. Chuck Bass was not part of that future. Falling in love with him would not happen. As long as she was alive, she wouldn't be anything more than his friend.

"Never mind," she finally grumbled. "He just better show up. That's all."

At that moment, Eric joined the three of them. From the look on his face, The Vulture had scolded him again. This would have been a good time for a Vulture imitation. Unfortunately, no one but Chuck could do that imitation.

"What happened?" Serena asked. "Was it The Vulture again?"

"No. I was just wondering where Chuck was."

"You too?" Blair wanted to know. "If you see him, tell him to get here. The party is about to start and I'm without my date!"

"He's not with you guys?"

"No. We haven't seen him," Nate said. This did not make the worry leave Eric's face. "Why? Do you need him for something?"

"No, it's just...I heard a bunch of parents talking and asking where he was. They haven't seen him."

"So why don't they just ask his father?" Blair wanted to know.

"That's just it. His father doesn't know where he is either."

And for the first time in her life, whether she liked it or not, Blair Waldorf began to worry about Chuck Bass in _that_ way.

**TBC... **

~ ~ ~

**A/N:** I'm sorry it took me forever to update anything. I've been dealing with a family death and I wasn't around much to do any updating. Also, the hiatus is not helping me very much. I am aware that there is a _severe_ lack of Chuck in this chapter but he comes back in the next one. More romance coming too. This was one of those chapters that was hard to get out but now it's out! My next stop will be to try and update Postcards and my EL fanfic on livejournal. Hopefully, watching old CB clips will help the muses there. As always, read, review, all the good stuff.


	9. Chapter 9

_The Small Moments That Led To Chuck and Blair_

(Thanks to Dawn for the beta and as always, GG isn't mine)

**Chapter 9: Search Party Redux and Surprise!**

_Age 11 cont, Ballroom Class_

The party had to be called off the moment word of Chuck's disappearance spread. Everyone was looking even the little kids who were afraid of him. Granted, they were looking in all the wrong places like under chairs and tables, but they were looking for him. The four of them weren't having much luck either. Anytime they wanted to go outside, an adult was there to stop them. Eventually, Eric managed to slip away with a promise to return.

"I found him!" Eric exclaimed. Just as everyone started to speak, he added. "He was on the roof, but he ran away again. He said he was going to Canada and he's going to live there forever."

"Canada? That's like a million miles from here!" Nate pointed out. "Why does he want to live in Canada anyway? It's too cold up there."

"I don't know. He just said he doesn't want to stay here anymore, he hates everyone, don't follow him, and don't send him any letters. But sending him food and money is fine. Especially if they're 100 dollar bills because he'll need it to build his house and a heated swimming pool in Canada."

Blair rolled her eyes at that. That dumb Chuck Basstard. What was he going to achieve by running away to Canada? What would his father say? Who was going to keep Nate and Serena out of trouble if he left? She couldn't do it all alone. Sure, she could give them a few harsh words but it wouldn't be enough. Who would be mocking The Vulture behind her back and making Eric smile? And what would she do without him?

iWait, why am I thinking about life without him?! I don't like him that much! Do I? No. No, I don't like him. I never liked him. I don't care that and I'm not going to./i

"Do you know where he ran to?" she asked.

"I don't know that either. I tried following him but he kept telling me to get lost." Eric's face fell as he thought about Chuck saying that. "What if he gets taken away forever by bad guys?"

"Or abducted!" Nate threw in. "Maybe the aliens are going after him now! Maybe they'll take his brains out and replace them! Or he'll become a pod person! Maybe he'll be..."

"Nate, stop it!" Blair snapped. Kidnapping had not crossed her mind until now. Aliens or not, she did not want to think about him being taken away. "Everyone stop talking about that! He's going to be fine! Am I right?" The exchange of looks she received were not comforting. "You don't really think he'd be hurt, do you?"

She didn't need an answer from because Lily had found them. "There you all are! I thought you had run off to Central Park like Charles!"

Nate looked confused. "Didn't Chuck go to Canada?"

"Actually, we just found him and he's in Central Park."

"Canada has a Central Park?"

"No, Nathaniel. I'm talking about Central Park over here." Lily took a quick look at both of her children. "Thank God he didn't go far. His father has been worried ever since the announcement came and now he's headed over there."

"I wanna go." Blair decided. "Take me too."

"Blair, I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Take me too," she repeated. "He's my friend."

"I wanna come too!" Nate added. "Best friends look after best friends! I think that's what they say. I think. Am I right?"

Lily turned to her daughter and son. They hadn't said anything but the looks on their faces told her everything. It seemed that they both cared about Chuck Bass. In some strange way, they liked him. She couldn't say no. "I guess you can go as well."

"Yay!" Eric exclaimed a little too loudly. Then he got quiet when his mother gave him a look. "Sorry. I just want to find him, that's all."

Lily smiled at him and at the other four. They were growing up fast but their friendship was getting stronger. It was a good thing. If Charles had run away for the reasons Bart Bass mentioned, then he was going to need all of them. She held Eric's hand and motioned the others to follow her.

"So let's go and find him."

_Present Day_

Blair woke up to Chuck's voice and Dorota telling her children to stay quiet. She had been moved from the floor to the couch and was lying against twenty pillows. People were talking around her and she realized that these were the guests from the baby shower. She tried piecing together everything that happened based on what they were saying; Chuck had found her on the ground, called the party off, Dorota and Vanya were having trouble handling their children, the baby was causing problems, and Dan Humphrey was missing. Not that she cared much about the last one.

But Chuck mattered. He was holding her and trying to keep the guests away. Too many people were trying to crowd around her and figure out why she had fallen. His hands were cold but she didn't complain. They were holding onto her. She needed him at this moment. It was the biggest moment of their lives. If the baby was coming, then she wanted him there.

"Blair! Blair, what's happening?" he demanded.

"The baby..." She managed to get out. "It's coming...I think it's..."

"Miss Blair in labor!" Dorota yelled to everyone. "We go to hospital now!"

That resulted in a lot of cheers as well as gasps. Gossip Girl quickly put out a new message, which everyone read:

**Spotted: Former Queen B in labor! OMG! What do you guys think she's having? Boy? Girl? Twins? Triplets? Is she the next Octomom? One thing is certain though; it's coming now and I will be there to welcome the newest member of the UES. -XOXO Gossip Girl**

"Doesn't she ever sleep?" Blair wanted to know.

"Who cares about her, B? You're in labor!" Serena squealed. "You're going to have the baby now!"

"But it's so soon!" It was true. It was only early August, not the end. The baby was due at the end of the month. Why was it coming out now? Did the doctors go off on the due date? Was the baby impatient? Was this what the complications would entail?

Not that any of those questions mattered. She had to give birth now.

"Okay, everyone out! We've got to get her to the hospital and fast!" Chuck started trying to push everyone out of the house. He then told Dorota to bring Blair's things and for someone to help Blair off the couch. The crowd began moving around, talking over each other, and then running out the door. One by one, people were leaving her. She kept waiting for someone to help her off the couch but they never came. She waited patiently, trying to get a word out. With all the talking and moving, it didn't happen. Finally, the door slammed and they were all gone.

But they had forgotten about her. The whole party had gone to the hospital without taking the expectant mother. Everyone had left her on the couch, trying to keep up with the contractions, and dying of pain. It hurt to get up and reach the phone.

So she was slightly relieved when Dan showed up from wherever he had been.

"I've got to say, those crabs were great," he said, not really paying attention to Blair's hard breathing. "If only my dad could make them like that..."

Blair groaned and he finally noticed her. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?"

If she had the strength to get up and strangle him, she would have done that and thrown him off the Brooklyn Bridge for good measure. How could he be clueless and thinking of crabs at a time like this? Unfortunately, the baby was not letting her move so she needed his help. "Humphrey, have you ever given birth?"

Dan scratched his head. "Well, I can't say I've ever gone through the process of giving birth myself. In fact, that would be hard for me seeing that I'm a guy..."

"I meant do you know how to deliver a baby!" She cut him off. "Because everyone left me! My contractions are way too close to one another! Call Chuck! Call somebody and have them come back!"

"Oh! You're in labor?!"

"What, you think I'm breathing loud and screaming in pain for fun?! I'm having my baby right now! Call them!" Another sharp pain shot through her body and she screamed. "Oh no! It's coming! It's coming and you have to help me!"

"Wait, what?! It can't come now! Can't you tell it to stop coming and stay in for a few more hours?"

"No! It's too late! And you're my only hope of getting it out." She shuddered, thinking of what she had put the child through. Yet she had no choice. She said the words she had been dreading.

"Dan Humphrey, I need you to deliver my baby."

TBC...

A/N: I'm sorry that I've become slow with my chapters for everything. In addition to dealing with a family tragedy, I've started working again and trying to get the deceased's things in order. Also, the hiatus drained out a lot of my writing ability too. Thank you all for still tagging along with this. I will try to get through the other fics soon; hopefully after the hiatus, updates will be more frequent than this.


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